UCLA Center for the Study of Women

The World Health Organization has made Black communities the face of the maternal death narrative without consideration for their various cultural, ethnic, racial, and ancestral histories. There is not a one-size-fits-all support method that encompasses the various cultural, ethnic, racial, and ancestral histories of Black communities. So why do international organizations continue to write global guidance that is not contextualized to specific communities? Critiquing the 1987 Safe Motherhood Initiative and global guidance by the World Health Organization, global maternal health initiatives focus on the maternal death narrative rather than healing. Maternal and perinatal healing spaces are safe spaces where women and birthing people feel supported at all stages of their pregnancy; safe spaces that allow for healing from past birth trauma, ancestral healing, and healing from the global erasure of Black life, birth, and peace.

Birthing support people, like doulas, use holistic practices and approaches to provide care within birthing spaces. They can help empower and support Black mothers and birthing people to find healing, rhythm, and community throughout the perinatal (prenatal, birthing, and postpartum) process. Their ability to holistically support mothers and birthing people’s intuitive ability to carry, birth, and feed a baby provides insight into how birthing support systems can change.

In this paper, existing global literature is reviewed, sixteen conducted doula and birth worker interviews are analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, and author Leila Chiddick’s participation in doula trainings is assessed. Leila creates The Holistic Birth Work Global Standard (HBW-GS) based on the sixteen interviews with doulas and birth workers. The HBW-GS is a guide to holistic care and practices, directly influenced by interviews, recommendations, and feedback by doulas and birth workers, centering the holistic care of mothers and birthing people. The HBW-GS intends to change how maternal and perinatal health is addressed globally and shift how the World Health Organization creates future global guidance.